Customer Avatar
Customer Avatar Name: Allyson Manthey Age: 41 Gender: Female Marital Status: Married - Husband is Brian Manthey Children: 2 - Max: age 8 and Sarah: age 5 Location: San Francisco, CA Occupation: Co-Owner/Founder of Boardroom Burlap, an independent luxury clothing label for 21st century entrepreneurial women. Combined Household Income: $1.7M annually Current Business Income: $450,000.00 annually
General Info
Allyson and her husband Brian have been married for 17 years. They have two kids, live in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, CA, where they own a restored townhouse in San Francisco's Hayes Valley neighborhood. For the most part, the family walks or takes public transportation as much as possible. In the cases that they do need to drive, they roll out in their Lexus RX hybrid. They moved to the Hayes Valley neighborhood about two years after they were married, and love it there. They knew instantly that they wanted to raise kids there. Before, the kids, however, they decided to focus on building their careers and businesses first. Brian is a very savvy investment broker at his own firm in the heart of the Financial District. A big hero of his is Chris Gardner who was the subject of the 2006 film, “The Pursuit of Happyness.”
Spending and Lifestyle Habits
Both Allyson and Brian value a very conscious lifestyle. It shows in the organic local prodce they buy weekly, all the way up to how they renovated their home - using as much salvaged, sustainable, and energy efficient resources as possible. In fact, they did such a great job that
their utilities are almost non-existent due to their careful attention to sustainable building practices. They’re house is paid for, and they co-own a small piece of property in the Virgin Islands, that again, was renovated with as much attention to sustainability and energy efficiency as their own home. When the Virgin Islands house isn’t being occupied by them or the other owners, it’s being rented out to guests, therefore paying for itself very quickly. Even with the addition of a full time caretaker. After paying for the necessities for themselves, their home, and their kids, most of the leftover money is quickly invested. And thanks to Brian’s knowledge of non-traditional investment strategies they’ve created a large chunk of valuable assets that are always in motion and always growing. A lot of their investments have been with socially conscious businesses around the globe. Many of which, you’ve probably not heard of yet. They do splurge from time to time on day trips and eating out, but their main focus with the “fun money” is on family vacations, get-togethers, and going across the country to visit Grandparents. They’re not opposed to stuff, but they try to keep as much excess as possible out of their lives. Both Brian and Allyson are working hard to teach their kids great skills in handling money and investing. Even at only 8 years old, Max is already learning how to turn a dollar into ten, and little Sarah has her own savings account at the bank. Brian has even started volunteering to teach basic money classes at the elementary school where Max attends. Turns out, even the teachers need that kind of help, so he’s seriously considering an at-home adult education package for re-teaching the hidden rules about money. Another thing you’ll see the Manthey’s doing is giving back. They’re always out cleaning up the neighborhood parks, helping less fortunate folks in the area, and spending time with people that need some help and advice. They make sure the kids are involved in as much of this as possible, so they will never grow weary of giving to any who need help. They also send a lot of money to a few specific organizations that are doing the best work in the San Francisco area to keep people fed and housed. Two things they feel strongly about.
Allyson’s Business
Allyson graduated with a BA in general studies, but always found she had a knack for fashion and clothing design. It wasn’t until she met Brian that she decided to take this more seriously, since it was him who connected her to his fashion industry clients. She started Boardroom
Burlap from her living room, and decided to build it quickly with her best friend who is a very talented entrepreneur and has a lot of connections in the luxury market with her previous businesses. It’s mission is to bring custom alternative style into the professional and entrepreneurial wardrobe of women in their mid 30’s to early 50’s. Using sustainable materials, manufacturing methods, and timeless design principles that rise above anything trendy, Boardroom Burlap is the go-to source for independent business women looking to dress above the corporate level. It’s a three person set up with Allyson and her best friend acting as co-owners, and their assistant Melissa who handles the day to day tasks to free them up to design new lines. Instead of manufacturing themselves, they’ve outsourced to a local but small textile mill in Brooklyn, NY. So, Allyson is frequently flying out to visit and discuss new projects. Since the business began, in 2005, it’s grown annually by at least 40% a year. It’s now grossing over close to a million dollars annually, with projected growth for 2013 to almost double that. Most of her sales are repeat buyers who started with her from the early days. Their loyalty and word of mouth are the reasons, the business has grown as quickly as it has. And Allyson has built the entire company designing just for them. Her vision for the next few years doesn’t differ that much from the current model, with the exception of launching a new charitable extension overseas that will use local sustainable materials and local labor to create clothing and teach trades in areas where work is scarce and basic needs are lacking. In essence, Allyson and her company are going to teach other budding entrepreneurs how to create their own version of Boardroom Burlap for themselves and meet the immediate needs in their parts of the world.
Allyson’s Biggest Fears
Right now, with Max and Sarah at still relatively young ages, Allyson’s biggest concern is being able to have her business, that supports a portion of their lifestyle, and still actively raise her kids. She’s got a downtown office with Boardroom Burlap, and since the kids are school ages, the days for the most part, aren’t a problem. But with summer coming on soon, she’s beginning to rethink the daily grind. In the past, she either had the kids with her at the office or worked from home as much as possible with her husband sharing the evening care. But, as her client base grows and more attention is needed, she’s faced with some tough decisions about what’s best for her, her business, and her family. She knows her family is well taken care of financially, due to the large investments both she and her husband have made over the years. She’s sitting on the edge of a massive global opportunity to change people’s lives, and she’d like her whole family to be as much a part of it as possible. So, how can she set up this new phase of business, continue to grow the company with her partners, and grow her family’s involvement while still being around as the Mom and wife she wants to be? That’s the biggest thing on her mind at the moment.
General Info
Allyson and her husband Brian have been married for 17 years. They have two kids, live in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, CA, where they own a restored townhouse in San Francisco's Hayes Valley neighborhood. For the most part, the family walks or takes public transportation as much as possible. In the cases that they do need to drive, they roll out in their Lexus RX hybrid. They moved to the Hayes Valley neighborhood about two years after they were married, and love it there. They knew instantly that they wanted to raise kids there. Before, the kids, however, they decided to focus on building their careers and businesses first. Brian is a very savvy investment broker at his own firm in the heart of the Financial District. A big hero of his is Chris Gardner who was the subject of the 2006 film, “The Pursuit of Happyness.”
Spending and Lifestyle Habits
Both Allyson and Brian value a very conscious lifestyle. It shows in the organic local prodce they buy weekly, all the way up to how they renovated their home - using as much salvaged, sustainable, and energy efficient resources as possible. In fact, they did such a great job that
their utilities are almost non-existent due to their careful attention to sustainable building practices. They’re house is paid for, and they co-own a small piece of property in the Virgin Islands, that again, was renovated with as much attention to sustainability and energy efficiency as their own home. When the Virgin Islands house isn’t being occupied by them or the other owners, it’s being rented out to guests, therefore paying for itself very quickly. Even with the addition of a full time caretaker. After paying for the necessities for themselves, their home, and their kids, most of the leftover money is quickly invested. And thanks to Brian’s knowledge of non-traditional investment strategies they’ve created a large chunk of valuable assets that are always in motion and always growing. A lot of their investments have been with socially conscious businesses around the globe. Many of which, you’ve probably not heard of yet. They do splurge from time to time on day trips and eating out, but their main focus with the “fun money” is on family vacations, get-togethers, and going across the country to visit Grandparents. They’re not opposed to stuff, but they try to keep as much excess as possible out of their lives. Both Brian and Allyson are working hard to teach their kids great skills in handling money and investing. Even at only 8 years old, Max is already learning how to turn a dollar into ten, and little Sarah has her own savings account at the bank. Brian has even started volunteering to teach basic money classes at the elementary school where Max attends. Turns out, even the teachers need that kind of help, so he’s seriously considering an at-home adult education package for re-teaching the hidden rules about money. Another thing you’ll see the Manthey’s doing is giving back. They’re always out cleaning up the neighborhood parks, helping less fortunate folks in the area, and spending time with people that need some help and advice. They make sure the kids are involved in as much of this as possible, so they will never grow weary of giving to any who need help. They also send a lot of money to a few specific organizations that are doing the best work in the San Francisco area to keep people fed and housed. Two things they feel strongly about.
Allyson’s Business
Allyson graduated with a BA in general studies, but always found she had a knack for fashion and clothing design. It wasn’t until she met Brian that she decided to take this more seriously, since it was him who connected her to his fashion industry clients. She started Boardroom
Burlap from her living room, and decided to build it quickly with her best friend who is a very talented entrepreneur and has a lot of connections in the luxury market with her previous businesses. It’s mission is to bring custom alternative style into the professional and entrepreneurial wardrobe of women in their mid 30’s to early 50’s. Using sustainable materials, manufacturing methods, and timeless design principles that rise above anything trendy, Boardroom Burlap is the go-to source for independent business women looking to dress above the corporate level. It’s a three person set up with Allyson and her best friend acting as co-owners, and their assistant Melissa who handles the day to day tasks to free them up to design new lines. Instead of manufacturing themselves, they’ve outsourced to a local but small textile mill in Brooklyn, NY. So, Allyson is frequently flying out to visit and discuss new projects. Since the business began, in 2005, it’s grown annually by at least 40% a year. It’s now grossing over close to a million dollars annually, with projected growth for 2013 to almost double that. Most of her sales are repeat buyers who started with her from the early days. Their loyalty and word of mouth are the reasons, the business has grown as quickly as it has. And Allyson has built the entire company designing just for them. Her vision for the next few years doesn’t differ that much from the current model, with the exception of launching a new charitable extension overseas that will use local sustainable materials and local labor to create clothing and teach trades in areas where work is scarce and basic needs are lacking. In essence, Allyson and her company are going to teach other budding entrepreneurs how to create their own version of Boardroom Burlap for themselves and meet the immediate needs in their parts of the world.
Allyson’s Biggest Fears
Right now, with Max and Sarah at still relatively young ages, Allyson’s biggest concern is being able to have her business, that supports a portion of their lifestyle, and still actively raise her kids. She’s got a downtown office with Boardroom Burlap, and since the kids are school ages, the days for the most part, aren’t a problem. But with summer coming on soon, she’s beginning to rethink the daily grind. In the past, she either had the kids with her at the office or worked from home as much as possible with her husband sharing the evening care. But, as her client base grows and more attention is needed, she’s faced with some tough decisions about what’s best for her, her business, and her family. She knows her family is well taken care of financially, due to the large investments both she and her husband have made over the years. She’s sitting on the edge of a massive global opportunity to change people’s lives, and she’d like her whole family to be as much a part of it as possible. So, how can she set up this new phase of business, continue to grow the company with her partners, and grow her family’s involvement while still being around as the Mom and wife she wants to be? That’s the biggest thing on her mind at the moment.
